Menopause and cholesterol

Did you know that the menopause can trigger higher cholesterol levels? But positive changes to your lifestyle and diet can really help lower cholesterol and maintain a healthy heart.

Most women in the UK go through the menopause between 40 and 60, although the average age is 51 to 52. Some women experience early menopause if they undergo a hysterectomy or chemotherapy.

Symptoms of menopause

Early symptoms of the menopause include hot flushes, night sweats, sleeplessness, mood swings and irritability.

Menopause and heart health

Raised LDL “bad” cholesterol is one of the effects of the menopause. It’s very common, affecting nearly half of all women over 55. And a woman’s risk of heart disease actually increases four-fold in the 10 years after menopause.

But in a special report commissioned for Flora pro.activ called Check for Change*, we found that 76% of women over 45 didn’t know about this link. The good news is that making positive changes to your lifestyle and diet can really help to cut cholesterol and protect your heart health.

Lowering cholesterol

Check for Change told us 46% of women would rather take preventative measures than wait until medication is necessary. A simple pinprick blood test by your healthcare professional will tell you if you need to lower your cholesterol. You should start having cholesterol checks from the onset of the menopause.

*Flora pro.activ contains plant sterols. Plant sterols have been shown to lower blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease. Consuming 1.5-2.4g of plant sterols per day can lower cholesterol by 7-10% in 2-3 weeks when consumed as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle with sufficient fruit and vegetables.